Remembering the men and women of the British Commonwealth who lost their lives during the Second World War 1939-1945. Please feel free to contact me and suggest a name for inclusion on this WW2 remembrance blog.

30 May 2015

I was in Coventry on Thursday and, having a couple of hours to kill, visited the old cathedral. I also bought a book, Coventry at War, by David McGrory.

The story of the bombing of Coventry is probably-well known in general terms. David McGrory, writing about the night of the 14th November 1940, fills in the detail:

"The destruction continued for eleven long hours and blazing Coventry could be seen by bomber crews 150 miles away. The all-clear finally came at 6.15am the following morning. The Luftwaffe had unloaded 500 tons of high explosive bombs, 30,000 incendiaries and 50 land mines on the city. Slowly, the people emerged from their shelters to view the destruction... The Germans created a new word to describe the destruction - Coventrated."

But of course, not everyone emerged from shelters. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) website records the names of 674 civilians who died between the 14th and 15th November 1940 and of those, 461 died in Coventry. More still would die from their injuries in the days that followed.

The names below are taken from the CWGC website and I have organised them in alphabetical order by date of death. They range in age from 2-month old Robert Danes, killed at 73 Stratford Street along with his 23-month old brother Gordon, his grandmother, Edith Parr, and his aunt Nancy Parr, to 85-year old Elizabeth Tanner, killed at 19 Springfield Road. Eight people died at Stratford Street in the Coventry raid, six of these children.

A memorial to Coventry's Blitz victims was later erected in the London Road Cemetery, Coventry.

Each of the individuals listed above was a life cut-short. Local researcher Jane Hewitt has researched many of these individuals in greater detail and their stories can be read on Jane's family tree research site. Also have a look at the Coventry's Blitz website. A number of the photos that I have used on this post also appear on this website.

13 March 2015

Remembering the following British and Commonwealth citizens who gave their lives for King, King Emperor and Kingdom, 69 years ago this day, on the 13th March 1944. Data supplied by The Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

21 February 2015

The following civilians all died on the 21st February 1944 as a result of enemy action on London. It would appear that some of these 24 civilians died in the line of duty. For instance, Harry Cresswell was serving with the Heavy Rescue Service; Jesse Evans was a volunteer fire-watcher; Winifred Medleycott was working for the British Red Cross Society, James McKenzie working as a fire guard, and Herbert Pill a staff sergeant with the Home Guard.

1 February 2015

On this day in 1893 my grandfather Walter Leonard Nixon was born. That's him, pictured above in about 1907. Fast forward 51 years and on this day, 1st February 1944, 217 British and Imperial men and women lost their lives in the service of their King and King Emperor.

1045805 Battery Quartermaster Sergeant William Stephen Holcombe of the 9th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, was one of those 217 men to die on this day in 1944. He was a regular soldier; an Old Contemptible who had enlisted in 1913, served throughout the First World War and who subsequently extended his service. His medal index card (below, courtesy of Ancestry) notes the same regimental number that appears on his headstone in Ilkley Cemetery.

William was born at South Norwood, Croydon and was a seaman before he enlisted with the Royal Field Artillery

He originally attested on the 7th January 1913 and was given the number 71580

He extended his colour service at various points ( his number 1045805 dates to February 1919) and re-enlisted on 3rd July 1939

He married Violet Maud Smith at Woolwich on Christmas Day 1917 and the couple had two children: Francis William Smith (born 28th September 1921) and Reta Violet Smith (born 23rd March 1926).

He was discharged from the army on 10th December 1943 under paragraph 392 (xvi) of King's regulations 1940. This paragraph deals with discharges as a result of "ceasing to fulfil army physical requirements" and could imply that he was discharged as a result of wounds

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission notes that William was the husband of Violet Maud Holcombe of Stratford, Essex which, coming full circle, brings me back again to my grandfather Walter who was born in Stratford in 1893.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

2 January 2015

According to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, 177 men and women serving with United Kingdom forces died on the 2nd January 1945; seventy years ago today. Herbert Jeffries died at home this day and was buried in Abney Park Cemetery in Stoke Newington. He was 24 years old, the son of Henrietta Jeffries of Hackney.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.